Database query user interface

• US 20040254928A1
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Turski, Andrzej, Marcjan, Cezary, Kott, Ryszard, Vronay, David P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/243 Natural language query formulation

Abstract

A database query user interface combines the user convenience of simple text searching with the expressive refinements of powerful query language. The database query user interface includes a query text string input from a user including one or more terms of a chunk expression language format. The database query user interface further includes a syntactical prompt for constructing a multi-element chunk expression language database query that is syntactically correct and complete and includes the text string input from the user. For example, the syntactical prompt is selected from the database based upon a weighted analysis of database information relating to database elements included in the text string input from the user. A database query formed according to the present user interface may then be persisted or stored as a database query object.

Claims

1. A database query user interface for forming a database query for a database, comprising:

a first syntactical prompt for constructing an initial portion of a database query in a chunk expression language format; and

a second syntactical prompt for constructing a second portion of a database query in a chunk expression language format, the second portion being a multi-element chunk expression language syntactic group the completes a syntactically correct expression for the database query.

2. The user interface of claim 1 in which the second syntactical prompt includes a text string corresponding to information in the database.

3. The user interface of claim 2 in which the text string is selected from the database based upon a weighted analysis of database information relating to database elements included in the initial portion of the database query.

4. The user interface of claim 3 in which the weighted analysis of database information includes a completion association in which first and second information items together in a syntactical prompt selected by the user are associated together, thereby increasing weight of a relationship between the first and second information items relative to other information items.

5. The user interface of claim 3 in which the weighted analysis of database information includes a result count factor that provides increasing weight to information for increasing result counts up to a maximum count and then provides decreasing weight to information for result counts greater than the maximum count.

6. The user interface of claim 1 in which the second syntactical prompt includes a text string corresponding to information in the database and an information field identifier corresponding to a selected information field in the database, the text string being included in the selected information field.

7. The user interface of claim 6 in which the text string is selected from the database based upon a weighted analysis of database information relating to database elements included in the initial portion of the database query.

8. The user interface of claim 1 in which the first syntactical prompt includes a displayed listing of plural user-selectable terms, of which a user selects one for constructing the initial portion of the database query.

9. The user interface of claim 1 in which the second syntactical prompt includes a displayed listing of plural user-selectable syntactic groups that each completes a syntactically correct expression for the database query, a user selecting one of the user-selectable multi-element syntactic groups for constructing the second portion of the database query.

10. The user interface of claim 9 in which individual elements in a multi-element syntactic group selected can be modified by the user, each from a displayed list of elements that can replace the individual element and maintain the syntactically correct expression for the database query.

11. The user interface of claim 1 in which the database query, including the initial portion and the second portion, is persisted as a database query object in a computer readable medium.

12. The user interface of claim 11 in which the database query object includes a data structure having an exception list of exceptions to the query specified by a user.

13. The user interface of claim 11 in which the database query object includes a data structure, comprising:

a query specification language statement corresponding to the query in the chunk expression language format; and

a query construction record of user actions that produced the query.

14. The user interface of claim 13 in which the data structure of the database query object further includes a query result count of how many results are returned by operation of the query.

15. The user interface of claim 13 in which the data structure of the database query object further includes a query usage record indicating a history of usage of the query.

16. The user interface of claim 11 in which the database query is retrievable from the persisted database query object to for renewed execution against the database.

17. The user interface of claim 11 in which the database query object includes a data structure having an exception list of exceptions to the query specified by a user and the user interface further includes automatic generation of a revised database query in the chunk expression language format with an accommodation for exceptions in the exception list.

18. The user interface of claim 1 in which the database query has associated with it an exception list of exceptions to the query specified by a user.

19. The user interface of claim 18 in which the user interface further includes automatic generation of a revised database query in the chunk expression language format with an accommodation for exceptions in the exception list.

20. A database query user interface for forming a database query for a database, comprising:

a query text string input from a user including one or more terms of a chunk expression language format;

a syntactical prompt for constructing a multi-element chunk expression language database query that is syntactically correct and complete and includes the text string input from the user.

21. The user interface of claim 20 in which the syntactical prompt is selected from the database based upon a weighted analysis of database information relating to database elements included in the text string input from the user.

22. The user interface of claim 21 in which the weighted analysis of database information includes a completion association in which first and second information items together in a syntactical prompt selected by the user are associated together, thereby increasing weight of a relationship between the first and second information items relative to other information items.

23. The user interface of claim 22 in which the weighted analysis of database information includes a result count factor that provides increasing weight to information for increasing result counts up to a maximum count and then provides decreasing weight to information for result counts greater than the maximum count.

24. The user interface of claim 20 in which the syntactical prompt includes an information field identifier corresponding to a selected database information field that includes the text string input from the user.

25. The user interface of claim 20 in which the syntactical prompt includes a displayed listing of plural multi-element chunk expression language database queries, a user selecting one of the plural multi-element chunk expression language database queries.

26. The user interface of claim 25 in which individual elements in a multi-element chunk expression language database query can be modified by the user, each from a displayed list of elements that can replace the individual element and maintain the syntactically correct expression for the database query.

27. The user interface of claim 20 in which the database query is persisted as a database query object in a computer readable medium.

28. The user interface of claim 27 in which the database query object includes a data structure having an exception list of exceptions to the query specified by a user.

29. The user interface of claim 27 in which the database query object includes a data structure, comprising:

a query specification language statement corresponding to the query in the chunk expression language format; and

a query construction record of user actions that produced the query.

30. The user interface of claim 29 in which the data structure of the database query object further includes a query result count how many results are returned by operation of the query.

31. The user interface of claim 29 in which the data structure of the database query object further includes a query usage record indicating a history of usage of the query.

32. The user interface of claim 27 in which the database query is retrievable from the persisted database query object to for renewed execution against the database.

33. The user interface of claim 27 in which the database query object includes a data structure having an exception list of exceptions to the query specified by a user and the user interface further includes automatic generation of a revised database query in the chunk expression language format with an accommodation for exceptions in the exception list.

34. The user interface of claim 20 in which the database query has associated with it an exception list of exceptions to the query specified by a user.

35. The user interface of claim 34 in which the user interface further includes automatic generation of a revised database query in the chunk expression language format with an accommodation for exceptions in the exception list.

73. The user interface of claim 28 in which the exception list of exceptions to the query specified by a user can be modified with direct user manipulations of objects.

36. In a computer readable medium, a persistent database query object data structure, comprising:

a database query; and

an exception list of exceptions to the database query specified by a user.

37. The data structure of claim 36 in which the exceptions to the database query are specified by the user with reference to results returned by the database query.

38. The data structure of claim 36 in which the database query includes a query specification language statement corresponding to the database query in a chunk expression language format.

39. The data structure of claim 36 further comprising a query construction record of user actions that produced the database query.

40. The data structure of claim 36 further comprising a query result count of how many results are returned by operation of the database query.

41. The data structure of claim 36 further comprising a query usage record indicating a history of usage of the database query.

42. The data structure of claim 36 in which the database query is retrievable from the persistent database query object data structure for renewed execution against the database.

43. In a computer readable medium, database query software for forming a database query for a database, comprising:

software for forming a database query in a chunk expression language format and storing a version of the database query in a persistent database query object;

software for storing in the persistent database query object an exception list of exceptions to the database query specified by a user.

44. The software of claim 43 further including software for obtaining user-specified exceptions with reference to results returned by the database query.

45. The software of claim 43 further comprising software for automatic generation of a revised database query in the chunk expression language format with an accommodation for exceptions in the exception list.

46. The software of claim 43 in which the version of the database query includes a query specification language statement corresponding to the database query in the chunk expression language format.

47. The software of claim 43 in which the persistent database query object further includes a query construction record of user actions in forming the database query.

48. The software of claim 43 in which the persistent database query object further includes a query result count of how many results are returned by operation of the database query.

49. The software of claim 43 in which the persistent database query object further includes a query usage record indicating a history of usage of the database query.

50. The software of claim 43 further comprising software for renewing execution of the database query against the database from the persistent database query object.

51. The software of claim 43 in which the software for forming a database query in a chunk expression language format includes software for obtaining an initial query text string with one or more terms of a chunk expression language format and software for providing a syntactical prompt for constructing a multi-element chunk expression language database query that is syntactically correct and complete and includes the initial query text string.

52. The software of claim 51 in which the syntactical prompt is selected from the database based upon a weighted analysis of database information relating to database elements included in the initial query text string.

53. The software of claim 52 in which the weighted analysis of database information includes a completion association in which first and second information items together in a syntactical prompt selected by the user are associated together, thereby increasing weight of a relationship between the first and second information items relative to other information items.

54. The software of claim 52 in which the weighted analysis of database information includes a result count factor that provides increasing weight to information for increasing result counts up to a maximum count and then provides decreasing weight to information for result counts greater than the maximum count.

55. The software of claim 51 in which the syntactical prompt includes an information field identifier corresponding to a selected database information field that includes the initial query text string.

56. The software of claim 51 in which the syntactical prompt includes a displayed listing of plural multi-element chunk expression language database queries, a user selecting one of the plural multi-element chunk expression language database.

57. The software of claim 56 in which individual elements in a multi-element chunk expression language database query can be modified by the user, each from a displayed list of elements that can replace the individual element and maintain the syntactically correct expression for the database query.

58. A method for forming a database query for a database, comprising:

forming a database query in a chunk expression language format and storing a version of the database query in a persistent database query object;

storing in the persistent database query object an exception list of exceptions to the database query specified by a user.

59. The method of claim 58 further including obtaining user-specified exceptions with reference to results returned by the database query.

60. The method of claim 58 further including automatically generating a revised database query in the chunk expression language format with an accommodation for exceptions in the exception list.

61. The method of claim 58 in which the version of the database query includes a query specification language statement corresponding to the database query in the chunk expression language format.

62. The method of claim 58 in which the persistent database query object further includes a query construction record of user actions in forming the database query.

63. The software of claim 58 in which the persistent database query object further includes a query result count of how many results are returned by operation of the database query.

64. The method of claim 58 in which the persistent database query object further includes a query usage record indicating a history of usage of the database query.

65. The method of claim 58 further including renewing execution of the database query against the database from the persistent database query object.

66. The method of claim 58 in which forming a database query in a chunk expression language format includes obtaining an initial query text string with one or more terms of a chunk expression language format and providing a syntactical prompt for constructing a multi-element chunk expression language database query that is syntactically correct and complete and includes the initial query text string.

67. The method of claim 66 in which the syntactical prompt is selected from the database based upon a weighted analysis of database information relating to database elements included in the initial query text string.

68. The method of claim 67 in which the weighted analysis of database information includes a completion association in which first and second information items together in a syntactical prompt selected by the user are associated together, thereby increasing weight of a relationship between the first and second information items relative to other information items.

69. The method of claim 67 in which the weighted analysis of database information includes a result count factor that provides increasing weight to information for increasing result counts up to a maximum count and then provides decreasing weight to information for result counts greater than the maximum count.

70. The software of claim 66 in which the syntactical prompt includes an information field identifier corresponding to a selected database information field that includes the initial query text string.

71. The method of claim 66 in which the syntactical prompt includes a displayed listing of plural multi-element chunk expression language database queries, a user selecting one of the plural multi-element chunk expression language database.

72. The method of claim 71 in which individual elements in a multi-element chunk expression language database query can be modified by the user, each from a displayed list of elements that can replace the individual element and maintain the syntactically correct expression for the database query.